The Boy Who Saved Me
by softball8
Summary: What if Katniss was caught hunting? What would happen? Who would save her? Katniss is 15 and trying to survive. Before any games or war. Katniss and Peeta POV. I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES!


_**Katniss is 15 years-old. No games no war just her trying to survive. **_

Part one Katniss POV

I pull back my bow string and take a deep breath in. The turkey takes one step to the right; I exhale and watch as the arrow hits it right through the eye. Satisfied I collect my kill, and clean off the bloody arrow head. Gale didn't come out today. I had just started to get use to him, and now he isn't here. I wonder if one of the kids is sick.

I deposit my bow and sheath back in the hollow log. Once I have the plastic cover back in place. I head towards the fence. I stop and listen to see if the electricity is turned on, but here nothing. I slip through the hole, and head towards town. The Hob is fairly busy. Most men are down working in the mines, so some stalls are empty. I look for Greasy Sae, but she isn't here either. I was going to give her the turkey to make some type of stew. I killed a good amount of rabbits last week, so we have no need for such a large bird. It would go bad before we could finish it.

I decide to try one of the peacekeeper's houses. Darius wasn't at the Hob probably because Greasy Sae had no stew to sell. I go to his house that is near the Justice Building. I knock once on his back door. I take the bird out of my hunting bag. If he doesn't take it I will probably just go to the butcher. Finally the door opens, but it is not Darius.

This man is much older and has slick black hair. He has a hard gaze, and doesn't look like the trading type. He looks at the dead bird in my hands and back at my face. His chest puffs up and in a flash he is handcuffing my hands behind my back. "Where did you get this bird," he bellows.

I should have just gone to the butcher. Trading with Peacekeepers was always to risky my father would say, but I need the money. I have to think of a lie. I am a terrible lair. "I-I-I found it in near my house. I killed it because my sister was scared," I stutter. He doesn't even take my story into a count.

"What's your name?" He asks and drags me away from his back step. I hang my head.

"Katniss Everdeen," I mumble. He snickers and pulls my arm harder.

"I heard all about you," he hisses and turns the corner and I know what his next move is. My legs go limp and he has to almost carry me to the post. He takes off the cuffs and rips the old leather jacket off my back. He kicks me to my knees and ties my hands above my head. I can see a small crowd gathering around the square. No one makes a move to help. They all know why I'm here. I hear some saying 'what a shame' or see some just shaking their heads. The man then cuts a hole on the back off my shirt, and pulls it open so my whole back is exposed. He lays the dead turkey next to me, and then I hear the unmistakable sound of his whip. It cracks in the air. My muscle tense, but I don't dare look up.

"You are charged with poaching and are sentenced to twenty lashes," he hollers so everyone in the crowd can hear. I take one glance to my left and see a couple other peacekeepers with their guns loaded and ready to shoot if anyone interferes.

The crowd goes silent and then I feel the first impact from the whip on my skin. It burns and I have to clench my teeth to hold back a scream, but one comes out any way. I sense him raise his arm again, and then I feel another impact. It hits the same spot as last one. I feel warm blood trickle down my back. I don't think I'll make it through all twenty. I am going to die not from starvation, but on the whipping post. I think of Prim. I think of Gale, and how I wish he was here to help. I take ten brutal hits. Each time my scream is weaker and more desperate than the onebefore. On the eleventh I black-out and pray I never wake up.

Part two Peeta POV

I am in the back of the bakery with the hot ovens. My mother is sorting out ingredients for a batch of biscuits for the Mayor. Every once in a while she inspects my work. Always making sure I don't mess up the dough or burn anything in the ovens. I hear the front door open and someone starts talking to my father. My mother stops what she is doing and joins him at the front. I continue working the dough just like my father said too. Today my brothers got the easy job of sweeping the front room while I have to work back with the ovens.

A couple minutes later my father walks back with my mother on his heels. She looks mad, but I don't question. I watch as my father takes off his apron and motions for me to do the same. "Come on we have to get something," he says and my mother just shakes her head.

I follow him out the back door and he heads towards the town square. I see a crowd has formed. That only happens when they carry out public punishments for crimes. My heart rate increases and I look up at my father. "Just stay with me. Okay," he orders and I nod still confused. We move our way towards the front of the crowd and then I know why he said to stay here. My heart drops at the sight in front of me. I see the back of her shirt cut open and her skin red, and blood running down and soaking the top of her pants. Her is head hanging, and I for a second I think she is dead. I feel tears pricking the corners of my eyes. I swallow the lump in my throat and hold back the urge to run and stop the next lash. I see the dead turkey and assume she was caught. Katniss is always careful, but things happen.

I watch two more lashes and then the Peacekeeper -who is new-wipe the blood off the tip of the whip and coil it back up, placing it on his belt. He turns to the crowd. "Now get back to work. The sentencing is over," he yells and I feel my father clamp his hand on my shoulder. I look up at him.

"We have to help her. We can't just let her die. We hav-," I blurt and he cuts me off.

"We will just wait for him to leave," he says and we move to the side of the street. The Peacekeeper picks up the dead turkey and stalks back towards the Justice Building. "Alright let's go," my father says. I ran to her side.

"Katniss, Katniss can you hear me," I say. She moves her head slightly and her eye lids flutter open. "Katniss I'm going to get you home. Just hang on, please," I beg while my father cuts her wrist free. I catch her in my arms and carefully hold her. She barely weighs a hundred pounds.

"We have to get her to her mother. Do you know where she lives?" My father asks and I shake my head 'yes' and start jogging towards the Seam.

Part three Katniss POV

I move in and out of consciousness. I reply his words in my head "_just hang on Katniss". _At first I thought it was Gale, but it wasn't. It was Peeta. I flashback to the time he gave me the burnt bread in the rain. He gave me hope after my father died. I debt I will ever be able to repay that debt, and now another. I feel his strong arms holding me careful not to touch the raw skin on my back. I try to open my eyes, but I don't have the strength. Soon blackness consumes me again.

Peeta POV

I get to her house in the Seam. My father knocks and her little sister Prim opens the door. "Get you mother now," I order and she doesn't say anything. She looks at the Katniss and her eyes grow wide with fear. "She was whipped," is all I say. Prim clears the table and I lay Katniss down on her stomach. Her breathing is shallow and ridged. Prim pushes me to the side as her mother and her go to work.

Her mother looks at me and my father. "Thank you. How many times she was whipped?" I shake my head, but my father answers.

"A total of twenty people said she blacked out after ten or so," my father says and Katniss' mother wipes the tears out of her eyes.

"Oh dear," she mumbles and cuts away the rest of Katniss' shirt. Prim grinds up something in a bowl, and then her mother adds them to a bowl of water. They dip a towel in the bowl and then lay it across her back. Katniss lets out a gasp, but then her facial expression relaxes. They clean all her cuts and then place white bandages and cream on her back. "That's the best I can do," her mother says and gives Katniss a kiss on the forehead. Prim pulls up a chair and takes Katniss' hand in hers.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. "I'll be home. Come back when you are ready," my father whispers in my ear and then lets himself out. I stand in the corner and watch Katniss and her sister. Prim looks over at me.

"What did they catch her with?" She asks barely above a whisper.

"A turkey," I say and she nods in understanding. I stay there just watching her for the rest of the day. I notice Prims eyes start to drop. "I can watch her while you get some rest," I offer. She is hesitant, but then leaves for bed. I sit down in the chair next to the table. At first I just stare at her. This is the closet I have ever been to her. I see her every day, well I watch her every day, but this is the first time I really get to admire her up close. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps. She doesn't carry her usual scowl that I love. She looks so sweet and innocent. No signs of how hard her life has been since her father died. I slowly take my hand in hers.

I stroke the back of her hand with my thumb. A faint smile appears on her face, and her eyes slowly open revealing the striking steel-gray. She looks confused, but then her eyes show recognition. "Hi," I whisper and continue to stroke her hand.

"Hi," she whispers back, and hearing her voice makes my stomach flip. Then her eyes slide close and she is back asleep. I stay until Prim and her mother wake up. They thank me once again and then I leave for home.

Part four Katniss POV 

I think about him every day. I remember the way he stroked my hand, and he stayed by my side all night. I have never talked to him before. I never even thanked him for helping me, but yet he stayed with me. It has been a week since I was whipped and I have slowly healed. I don't dare go in the woods though. I saw Gale, once but all he cared about was how the fence was now tuned on all day, and only went off at night. I want to thank Peeta, but I just don't know how.

I decide to just go and talk to him. I wake up early and head to the bakery. I usually take Prim, but I told her I had to do something alone. I walk in the bakery and am happy to see him stocking the front showcase. He sees me and gives me a small smile. "Could we talk," I say. He looks in the back and then nods his head. I walk around to the side of the bakery and he follows me. I don't know how to start it off. "Thank you," I blurt.

He smiles. "You're welcome I knew no one else would help, and I just couldn't leave you there," he says and nervously scratches the back of his neck. I wonder why he couldn't just let me die there like everyone else. They all just ran away and hid while he risked his own punishment to help me.

"Why," I say and he looks down at his feet. He sighs and looks back at me.

"I just," he starts. "I just have always. I don't know. I just have always cared about you," he says and I am taken back. I know he helped me before. I sometimes would seem him in school, but never really anything that would point to this. I don't know what to say.

"Oh," I say. "How? We don't talk."

"I know. I have always wanted to, but I never had the courage too," he says and looks back down at his feet.

"Oh, I just wanted to thank you in person. I didn't do it last time, and I just want to know if there is anything I could do in return," I say.

He thinks for a minute. "I don't expect you to say yes to this, but do you think we could talk sometime. I know you have Gale, but maybe we could just talk as friends?" He suggests. The way he says Gale he must think we are a couple or something. I don't hang out with Gale in school, but I am with him outside of school a lot, but he is like a brother. Nothing like how he is describing us. I wouldn't mind talking to Peeta. It's the least I could do considering he saved my life twice.

"We could," I say. "But Gale is just my friend, Peeta."

He looks surprised but pleased. "Okay, I have to get back inside. I'll talk to you later Katniss," he says with a small smile.

"Bye," I say and turn away from him back towards home. I don't know why I feel so confused. The only thing I can really tell is that I am happy I get to talk to him again. I have always seemed to keep track of him, but never really thought anything of it. He was always just the 'boy with the bread', and now the 'boy who saved me, again'. Maybe we could be friends. If it makes him happy I count it as a way to repay him for all he has done for me. After all he was my only hope when there was none other.


End file.
